James Brooks did a good job of picking the top 10 state stories of the past year (Empire, Dec. 30). He correctly cited “Permanent Fund Changes” as a top story, but his description of the changes failed to mention the most important change of all: Lawmakers and Gov. Bill Walker gave the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) a big haircut. They reduced almost every Alaskan’s spendable income by over $2,000. (The state refuses to release exact amount of the total reduction since 2015.)
A family of four is more than $8,000 poorer as a result of the state’s actions. I suggest that the PFD reduction had more impact on Alaska families than all of the rest of Brooks’ top stories put together.
Readers opposing these PFD reductions may wish to investigate joining the Permanent Fund Defenders: www.pfdak.com.
Gregg Erickson
Juneau and Bend, Oregon
• My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire.